Spinning!

I go to knit night at a local coffee shop on Thursdays. And every Thursday there is usually someone spinning. Naturally I've been eyeing everyone spin with that look in my eye. Toni knew that look and asked me if I wanted to borrow her wheel. HELL YEA I DO!!! She gave me a quick lesson and told me to take it home to practice.



She did say to keep the wheel in a place where the kids couldn't get to it. OK Toni, I'll try but please remember that these are the same kids that play with garbage and use the eyeliner to draw dragons.

Every night after the darlings went to bed, I took out the wheel. I would spin and spin and then spin some more. Ray even got into it and had to check it out to see if he could figure out how it worked. He told me about it but quite frankly I was to busy trying to not let too much roving be spun at once to listen to a word he said.




I succeeded in spinning that gorgeous yarn you see there. And quite frankly it wasn't as relaxing and peaceful as everyone makes spinning out to be. There were a lot of swears involved. My thumb and forefinger got the spinners ache (my own personal made up term). And I had to concentrate on this bit of spinning a lot. I had entire conversations in my head about how much roving I needed to pull out and how thin I needed to make it so the resulting yarn would not be too thick or too thin.

Eventually I did get the hang of it. The spinners ache went away and the conversations stopped. A pleasant surprise was how soft my hands were. Lanolin from the wool worked its way onto my hands and made them buttery soft.

I did return the wheel back to Toni and as much fun as I had with spinning I decided not to pursue it. I'm sure that I'll want pick it up when the kids are a bit older and not prone to get into my stuff.

Angels

I always know when the angels I live with are up to something when its a bit too quiet. If you know what I mean.

So I start calling names and asking whats going on. No answer. That's when I started looking. I started with their room first, found nothing and then moved onto my room. I happened upon this.



Yes, that is my angel playing with the garbage. We do have toys. Tons of toys. Fun toys that make all kinds of sounds when you touch them. No, we have to play in the garbage.

Then I look up and see big sister drawing dragons with my eyeliner. MY EYELINER!@!@##$



We do have crayons. ALL kinds of crayons in different shapes and sizes, a whole bucket of them. And if they made crayons that made noise and lit up when you used them, we would have them.



Now I realize why I work. So I can escape these crazy people that I gave birth to and have an adult conversation that doesn't involve dragons or garbage.

Thank you Dear God for letting it be Monday tomorrow!

Cute Pics Friday

Summer T-Shirt

I love my new t-shirt!



I ended up using all 10 balls of Schachenmayr Toy to make my brand spanking new summer t-shirt.

Someone commented on what a great top it was and I told them it was a Libby Grant!

I STILL Have Left Overs!

This is how much yarn I had left over after both sleeves were put in.



Can you even stand it? I did it!!! I added 2 short sleeves and STILL had some yarn left over.

Now I have to crochet the neckline and we will be good to go!

Sayings

I'm starting to sound like my mom. A thought that completely scares me because I always said that I wasn't going to be like her when I grew up and here I am JUST like her.

She would always say the same things to us kids:

"You kids are gonna be the death of me"

"I'm gonna trade you in for a fifth of whisky" Which was always followed by "You're so ornery I don't think I can get that much for you"

"Put a lid on it"

I’m saying these lines so much that my husband is picking them up! LOL

We have a large amount of toys and one would think that its enough to entertain a 9 month old. Apparently not. Sydney decided that her toys aren’t good enough for her and wanted to play with daddy’s toys. So she crawled over to the entertainment center and get into daddy's computer CD's. Bats them off the shelf with her little paws and almost gets to eat them before I get over there to tell pull her away. Karolyn is right behind her saying "Sydney makin mess mom, Sydney makin a mess"

Then I go downstairs to do some much needed laundry. Before I know it, I hear this very loud and very scary CRASH. No one is crying which is a good thing. I drop everything and run up the stairs to see if anyone is hurt. There is Syd next to the plant stand, the plant and dirt all over my freshly washed floor. Karolyn is pointing to her sister "Sydney makin mess mom, Sydney makin a mess. OH NO Sydney trouble."

I get that cleaned up and decide to check my email when I hear another crash followed by a crying baby. I get up and find that Sydney managed to pull the very overflowing kitchen garbage can on top of her. I scoop her up and check to make sure she's OK and comfort her all at the same time when I hear. "Sydney makin mess mom, Sydney makin a mess."

You kids are gonna be the death of me.

Sydney, I'm gonna trade you in for a fifth of whisky, in fact you're so ornery I don't think I can get that much for you.

And Karolyn, put a lid on it.

Tank Top?

I love the length that I added. Its just perfect and no one gets the pleasure of seeing my tummy!

BUT, I don't really like how the armholes curl inward so I decided to add some sleeves. So instead of a summer tank top, I'm gonna have a summer t-shirt. Just for the record, I'm down to a ball and a half.

With this kind of pressure, I decided to knit the sleeves from the top down. I read about this in a book and am assured that it works. Basically you pick up stitches at the top of the armhole and work your way down, picking up a stitch on either side of the armhole.



This is the first time that I have ever done this and I really like it. The advantage is that there is no sleeve to sew in once its all said and done because its already knitted in!



I gotta say, I am really liking how this top is turning out. And whats even better is that its all mine. My very own creation which started from just an idea in my head! Not from a pattern out of a magazine that you have to read every line and knit 25 rows before you do the armhole shaping. None of the knit 20 stitches, cast off the middle 15 sts and knit the rest of the 15 sts with a separate ball of yarn. NONE. Its all just free form. Now THIS is knitting. And its so very liberating. I thought I wanted a tank top and now I'm adding sleeves that I'm not sure if I have enough yarn for. How crazy is that?

Left Overs

I did it! I managed to add on about 4 more inches and still have yarn left over!



I binded off in the strechiest bind off that I know of. The Kitchener Bind Off.

Disappointment

So I tried on my creation and about cried. The damn thing is too short! Can you even stand it? TOO SHORT...

Of course if the world was interrested in seeing my all stretched out to the max, post baby belly then it would be the perfect length. However, I consider it my civic duty to not reveal that to the rest of the world.

What am I gonna do? The better question is "what would Svetlana do?" I havn't got a clue!

So I decided I have 2 choices.

1) I can rip out the top of the tank top that contains my perfectly fitting arm holes and fantastic V-neck shaping. All of which, I feel the need to mention, is in my head as I didn't write down what exactly it was that I did.

2) Rip out the cast on and knit in the round in 2x2 rib until I get the length that I want.



I went with option 2.



I went to go and see how many balls I have left and I counted 3. THREE balls to add some length.

I can do it. I will not go and search to see if anyone on the planet has some of this discontinued yarn.

Signs Of Spring

Spring is finally here!!! After months and months of snow and ice and more snow, we finally have a day that is in the 60's.




There is no snow on the ground, the grass is dry, and the air has a warm breeze.



The birds are chirping and the tulips are trying to poke their heads through the ground.



So to celebrate, the girls and I went outside and played a bit!

Making Progress

I'm making progress on the tank top which is GREAT! I casted on, joined in the round and started knitting a 2x2 rib for about 3 inches. Then I continued to knit in plain knitting to the armpits where I divided the tube into front and back stitches.

Up until now there has been no purling. One of the great advantages of knitting in the round. The other advantage? Well there are no seams to sew as you are knitting the front and the back at the same time. So on this great knitting adventure I was thinking of how I wanted to do the neckline. I decided on doing a V-neckline because I hear that is flattering on Little Miss Chubby.

Here is a pic of my progress so far.



I did a 3-needle bind off on the shoulders because that is easier and faster than having to bind off and then sew the front and back together.

Looking pretty good! I'm getting excited over here.

Toying Around

One of the people that I'm completely enamored with is Svetlana. The woman is simply amazing. She finds pictures of stylish tops, skirts, dresses. Then she picks out the right yarn for the project and just knits it up. There is absolutely no pattern involved, everything is of her own creation and all in her head. Like I said, she is amazing.

So here I am without a project to work on. OK let me re-phrase that, I don't have a project that I WANT to work on there are plenty of UFO's in the basket and they will get done in due time. So the question is "What would Svetlana do?"

I imagine the first thing she would do is find a picture of the latest fashion. This is something that I'm not gonna do as I know what it is that I want to knit. A tank top for the summer.

Next she would pick out the yarn. Well I went stash diving and found the perfect yarn. Schachenmayr Toy in a blue/ green colorway that is cotton and acrylic blended to make the perfect summer yarn. I have 10 balls of the stuff which should be enough for a summer tank top.



I did a swatch using the recommended needle size and got 4 stitches to the inch. I applied that to my body measurements and figured out how many stitches I needed (I'm not gonna tell you that cuz I'm in denial). Next I casted on, joined in the round and started on the 2x2 ribbing.

Until next time, happy knitting.

Communication

I'm in the market for a digital camcorder that also doubles as a camera and an MP3 player. It must be small enough to carry in my purse at all times. And it has to be cute (us girls need cute camcorders). I understand that this is a tall order but I know that they make them as there are several on overstock.com. So I look at the picture and then how much it costs and what everyone thinks of it and then head over to Circuit City.

I'm hanging out in the camcorder department with DH and 2 kids for about 15 minutes before the pimply faced sales kid (PFSK) moseys on over.

PFSK: "Is there something I can help you with?"

Me: "Yes, Do you have the box that this camcorder comes in so I can read all of the details."

PFSK: "Maybe I can help with that, What are you going to use it for?"

Me: "I would just like to see the box please" Now I'm getting annoyed.

"uuummmm, mam, if I knew what you were going to use it for I could print off the specs for you."


What part of "I just want to see the box" did this kid not understand? I thought I was communicating rather effectively. Even my husband understood what it was that I wanted. He also knew that I was getting annoyed and had that LookOutManSheIsGettingThatLook on his face.

As it turns out they didn't have any of the camcorders that I was interrested in, in stock.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter from my family to yours!

And She Scores!

The goal for today was to get some 4T tops and some Leap Pad books. I went to the first place and scored on the clothes.



Look at all this great stuff! 5 tops, 1 dressy, 2 outfits, and 3 pairs of pants. And you know what is even better? It was all for the great price of $19.

The second sale had the Leap Pad stuff that I was looking for (the first one had zilch in the Leap Pad department). Check it out.



I got them for $3/ book and they usually retail for $14. When I got home, I immediately tried them out to see if I got the right ones for the system that we have. Only 1 wasn't compatible, everything else worked just fine. Karolyn seemed to like it as well. Now I just need to get her to use the "pen" that goes with it.

When it was all said and done, the damage came to just under $40! Bring on summer, I'm now prepared!

Mom 2 Mom Sales

Mom2mom sales. What is it you ask? Well it’s a gigantic garage sale for moms. All sorts of baby stuff jammed in one convenient location. I just love them. The thrill of the chase, the excitement of a great deal and to top it off everything is negotiable. I find everything at these things. Car seats, clothes, Elmo costumes, books, furniture, pack and plays, exersaucers, movies, toy boxes. The goal here is to not pay full price for anything. It’s the only way to go when you have two growing girls to feed, diaper and clothe. Last year I got a great coat and snowpants suit for Karolyn for $8. Can you even stand it? $8. These things retail for $70. It was in great condition and I would be willing to bet it was worn a handful of times. After Christmas when the stores had the coats and snowsuits on sale, I was tempted to get one for $35 and I thought “Now way, I can do better at the mom2mom sale. I have seen stuff at these sales with the price tags still on them.

Well there is one coming up tomorrow and I’m in need of size 4T tops and shorts for Karolyn. I’m also on the lookout for some “Leap Pad” books. Particularly, I want the ones for pre-school age. I’ll see what I tomorrow brings! Wish me luck.

More Secret Knitting

Here are some scantilizing pics of what I've been recently working on. What is it? What yarn did I use? What's the pattern?

Settle down!!!! All will be revealed in good time!

Knitted Breasts

When I was at “The Spa” I was knitting on several items. One of the items I was knitting was for a special friend whom I have never met. I only know this person from an online chat site yet I still consider her a friend. This friend has gone through hell and back to say the least and in the process had some body parts removed. Well friends just don’t let friends go without body parts, so I pulled out my needles and went to town.

I was determined to knit some boobs. I’m talented and can figure this out but why should I when someone else already did all the hard work for me. The pattern instructs you to knit up 2 boobs and then sew them together. Being the extremely busy person that I am, I want the most effient way to do things. Well, why would one knit two of the same thing and then sew them together?

Wouldn’t it be more efficient to just knit the body part in the round to the dimensions that you want.


Purl a round to be used as a turning ridge.


And then continue on the back side with decreases? I thought so.


The pattern also calls for a DK weight yarn of which I didn’t have that was soft enough for this endeavor. I did have some Lorna’s Laces sock yarn that I just LOVE. The problem is that it doesn’t mach the specified gauge. I’ll just adjust for that as well.

I started out just like the pattern dictates.

CO 3 sts and work an i-cord for about 1.5 inches. Work one more row of I-Cord, increasing as follows: kfb in each st. 6 sts.
Divide sts between 3 double-point needles, in preparation to begin working in the round. Place marker in first stitch.
Next Round: [K to last st on needle, m1, k1] around. 3 sts increased.
Repeat this round 19[21, 25, 27, 29] times more. 66[72, 84, 90, 96] sts (22[24, 28, 30, 32] sts on each needle).
P 2 rounds. BO all sts.

Because I was using sock yarn which is smaller than DK wt yarn, I repeated the round until I had 44 stitches on each needle.

Then instead of binding off, I:

1) purl 1 round.

2) Knit 3 rounds.

3) K3, K2tog around (any remaining stitches are knitted)

4) K 4 rounds

5) Repeat 3 and 4, 3 times

6) K2, K2tog (any remaining stitches are knitted)

7) K 1 round

8) repeat 6 and 7

9) K1, K2tog (any remaining stitches are knitted)

10)K1,K2tog (any remaining stitches are knitted)

Draw yarn through the remaining stitches.

I also made a little pocket for adding weights or special mementos. The breasts were then stuffed with polyfil and I left them open so they are adjustable if needed.


The finished product! I'm hoping that she likes them. (Keep your fingers crossed for me)

The Birthday Girl

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear Betsy
Happy Birthday to you

Go and wish Ms. East Cupcake Texas Happy Birthday. Rumor has it she's 12!

Cheryl's Blankie

Knitting has such a great community. All of these people with the same knowledge of forming a stitch out of a couple of sticks and some string. One basic stitch, the knit stitch. There is the purl stitch as well but as Elizabeth says, that is just a backwards knit stitch done on the wrong side of the fabric. And there are a million different ways these two stitches can be combined.



My little Elann.com knitting community came together and made a blanket for Cheryl. The concept was simple. Each person was to make a square that had a non-curling edge and whatever stitch pattern they wanted for the middle.



You want lace? Knit lace. You want to do cables? Do cables. You want a simple stitch pattern? Keep it simple. Then it hit me. All of these different stitch patterns are basically the same 2 stitches combined differently. And you want to know what is even more amazing? All of the squares just seem to “go” together.



We decided on Devon by Elann.com in pinks, purples, and browns. When it was complete, we no longer had a "blankie" but a work of art.